The Ducal Detective (Book 1, Court of Mystery)
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Narrated by:
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Melissa Green
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By:
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Sarah E. Burr
About this listen
Before the Court of Mystery, Duchess Jacqueline Arienta Xavier reigned as the Ducal Detective.
Murder is a royal affair in this enchanting prequel series by Sarah E. Burr.
In this captivating novella introducing the realm of virtues, Jacqueline Arienta Xavier is the newly crowned Duchess of Saphire after her parents' carriage is found overturned on their way to a knights' tournament. While at first the tragedy is deemed an accident, the Duchess discovers a sinister plot in the heart of her own duchy. She must use her fearless curiosity, with help from unsuspecting friends, to unmask the culprit before the traitor comes for her head.
Discover for yourself how the duchess rose to power in the Ducal Detective Mysteries:
- The Ducal Detective
- A Feast Most Foul
- A Voyage of Vengeance
- A Summit in Shadow
- Throne of Threats
The duchess's story continues in the Court of Mystery novels:
- Paradise Plagued
- Burdened Bloodline
- Sovereign Sieged
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West End Earl
- By: Bethany Bennett
- Narrated by: Harriet Fraser
- Length: 10 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
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While most young ladies attend balls and hunt for husbands, Ophelia Hardwick has spent the last 10 years masquerading as a man. As the land steward for the Earl of Carlyle, she’s found safety from the uncle determined to kill her and freedoms a lady could only dream of. Ophelia’s situation would be perfect - if only she wasn’t hopelessly attracted to her employer.
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Wow!
- By 🌿🌸Susynne🌸🌿 on 04-27-23
By: Bethany Bennett
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The Duke Effect
- By: Sophie Jordan
- Narrated by: Carolyn Morris
- Length: 7 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
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Despite being surrounded by her happily wed sisters, Nora Langley prefers botany to ballrooms and would rather spend a lifetime in her laboratory than consider affairs of the heart. An expert herbalist, Nora has been masquerading as her late physician father for years, dispensing invaluable medical advice. She corresponds with people all over the world, including an old army colonel. But when the man shows up on her doorstep, he is nothing like she expected - he is a young, handsome heir to a dukedom who suddenly threatens everything she holds dear.
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Disappointing at best
- By Glow3 on 02-06-21
By: Sophie Jordan
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Refining the Debutante
- By: Anneka R. Walker
- Narrated by: Noah Wall
- Length: 8 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
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Miss Miranda Bartley is in love with the Honorable Ethan Roderick, their engagement all but official. But as she basks in the success of her London Season, her joy is cut short when Ethan ends their courtship, claiming she is too insensitive. In the wake of her heartbreak, Miranda is dealt yet another blow, one that changes everything. In a harsh twist of fate, she quickly falls from Society darling to servant in her uncle’s home.
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A near miss
- By Kindle Customer on 09-09-23
By: Anneka R. Walker
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The Princess Plan
- By: Julia London
- Length: 11 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
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Nothing gets the tongues of London’s high society wagging like a good scandal. And when the personal secretary of the visiting Prince Sebastian of Alucia is found murdered, it’s all anyone can talk about, including Eliza Tricklebank. Her unapologetic gossip gazette has benefited from an anonymous tip about the crime, prompting Sebastian to take an interest in playing detective - and an even greater interest in Eliza.
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Hero’s voice bleh, BUT…
- By Robyn on 05-16-23
By: Julia London
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Secrets and Suitors
- By: Joanna Barker
- Narrated by: Luone Ingram
- Length: 10 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
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Reluctantly returning to London for yet another Season, shy Nora Hamilton has nearly given up hope that she will ever find the love match she longs for. After all, the one man she does harbor feelings for - her closest friend, James - has made it perfectly clear he views her as just that: a friend. With James traveling half a world away and Nora’s father pressuring her to marry for wealth and status, Nora is forced to set aside her desire for love and accept the future she has always dreaded. Until James returns unexpectedly and Nora’s feelings once again rush unbearably close to the surface.
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Worth the Listen!
- By Lily on 06-30-20
By: Joanna Barker
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Where the Stars Meet the Sea
- By: Heidi Kimball
- Narrated by: Louise McCance-Price
- Length: 9 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
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Juliet Graham fervently counts the days until her 21st birthday, when she can claim the inheritance that will grant her the freedom she has always craved and the guardianship of her younger brother. When forced to accompany the family to a house party at Shaldorn Castle, Juliet’s only objective is to keep to herself. That is, until a chance encounter with a boorish stranger stirs up an unexpected whirlwind of emotions in her. Thrown off-balance, Juliet does the unthinkable: loses her temper and insults the man - who turns out to be her unwilling host, the Duke of Halstead.
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Interesting & Clean Romance
- By WA amazon customer on 09-26-21
By: Heidi Kimball
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Suffering the Scot
- By: Nichole Van
- Narrated by: Rosie Akerman
- Length: 12 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
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Lady Jane Everard cannot abide the new earl of Hadley. The unmannered Scot is a menace to genteel ladies everywhere, what with his booming laugh and swishing kilt and endless supply of “ochs” and “ayes”. Jane wishes Lord Hadley would behave as an earl should and adhere to English rules of polite conduct.
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would be awesome with another narrator
- By Jess D on 11-10-20
By: Nichole Van
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That Scandalous Evening
- The Governess Brides, Book 1
- By: Christina Dodd
- Narrated by: Karen Cass
- Length: 8 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
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New York Times bestselling author Christina Dodd spins the captivating tale of a nobleman whose path crosses again with the one woman he absolutely cannot resist....
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Heroine's a pathetic doormat
- By karen on 03-26-21
By: Christina Dodd
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For the Deepest Love
- A Pride & Prejudice Variation
- By: Mary Anne Mushatt
- Narrated by: Sarah Groarke
- Length: 7 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
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After thinking long and hard, I have come to the conclusion that - although it may not be the kind of love my sister and I once had in mind - marrying Mr Darcy would be marrying for a love of the deepest kind. Recovering from their parents' deaths, Elizabeth and Jane Bennet have held their family together, leaning on the support of their uncle, Edward Gardiner, to help them survive. Thus, when Mr. Gardiner is threatened with scandal and ruin, Elizabeth vows to help him.
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Narration needs to be re-recorded!
- By That's so fetch on 10-15-21
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How to Lose a Highlander
- The MacGregor Lairds, Book 1
- By: Michelle McLean
- Narrated by: Nathaniel Black
- Length: 6 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
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Forced into marriage by their king in order to stop years of inter-clan feuding, Sorcha Campbell and Malcolm MacGregor are each determined to drive the other away. Malcolm knows he can never trust his new shrewish wife, despite the fact that everything he observes seems to prove that she's not only trustworthy, but utterly perfect for him. Sorcha knows she can never let her guard down around the man she believes betrayed her father, yet the longer she's with him, the more she discovers he is nothing like she was led to believe.
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Lose a Highlander
- By norma on 06-08-20
By: Michelle McLean
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The King's Seer: Publisher's Pack
- Books 1-2
- By: L.S. Bethel
- Narrated by: Adenrele Ojo
- Length: 15 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
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Contains books one and two of The King's Seer: The King's Seer and Blessed Moon.
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READ THIS BOOK NOW! It’s SO AMAZING!
- By G on 03-26-21
By: L.S. Bethel
What listeners say about The Ducal Detective (Book 1, Court of Mystery)
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Josh
- 12-05-19
Well done whodunit.
The story was intriguing. I thoroughly enjoyed the way the author wound the world building into the narrative. the narrator brings the characters to life and allows you to follow the story without much effort.
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- 🐺 SCARLET PIMPERNEL 🐺
- 09-07-19
THE DETECTIVE DUCHESS
A WONDERFUL BOOK, WITH AN AMAZING INTRIGUE AND ADVENTURE!
MELISSA GREEN DID A GOOD JOB WITH THE NARRATION! I LOOK FORWARD TO MORE FROM THIS AUTHOR AND NARRATOR!
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- Catrina
- 03-09-20
Breath of fresh air
I really enjoyed listening to this short book. It’s not typically the genre that I listen to but I still found myself wondering if Jax was going to solve the mystery surrounding her parents’ death. I’m excited to read on.
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- CuteAsADaisy
- 01-07-21
Fun quick read!
Narration is well done, good differentiations between characters and read at an easy to listen pace.
Story: a solid mystery with plenty of intrigue and twists. Add in a rising Royal and budding romance and you’ve got the gist of this first novel.
Parents: nothing to be concerned about, suitable for any YA reader!
Can’t wait for the next book!
—I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
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- WPD
- 01-03-20
Outstanding Story and Narration
Sarah E. Burr weaves an interesting and exciting mystery in the first book of this series which is sensationally and thoughtfully narrated by Melissa Green. This first book is a great introduction to the main characters and leaves me wanting to go straight into Book 2. The combination of the story and the narration are perfect companions and I can't wait to see what's next.
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- sherry Christenson
- 08-16-20
Enjoyable
Quick enjoyable listen. Great narration and the story sets up for the rest of the series
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- bookgirl
- 04-30-20
Flawed, but engaging nonetheless
This book was slow getting started, as we were treated to a lot of information up front about the social/political environment of the setting; although much of it seemed unnecessary, I suspect it will come into play more in later books in the series. Because my attention was not (yet) fully engaged, I noticed little things I might not have otherwise. For instance, although the fantasy setting employs much of the trappings of medieval Europe, the use of 20th-century words, such as when a character is "knackered" (1971) and a tavern is described as "upscale" (1966), felt jarring. Even Jax's name--an acronym created from her initials, her full name being Jacqueline Arienta Xavier--pulled me out of the story every time it was mentioned, since acronyms date only to 1940.
Then, too, certain words were used incorrectly, such as when Jax studied something "profusely." I'll admit, I looked it up to make sure I was not doing the author an injustice, and my instincts were correct: my dictionary defines profuse as "pouring forth liberally" or "exhibiting great abundance"; in other words, an indication of quantity, not depth. You can study something "closely," or "intently," but not "profusely." There was also imagery that seemed...odd. The one that sticks in my mind is "Dark circles hung from her eye sockets." Eww! Gross!
And yet...in spite of its flaws, once the doctor revealed that her parents had not died of natural causes, the book became very engrossing. Best of all, I thought I saw where the author was going, but...she surprised me! In a mystery, that's always a good thing! I thought Jax's apparent(?) love interest wasn't quite up to her weight--I preferred the captain of the guard--but he was a younger son of whom not much was expected, unlike Jax, who was groomed from childhood to rule the duchy someday, It should be interesting to see if/how he matures into an equal partner for her, or if the author has a surprise or two up her sleeve there, as well.
As for the narrator, I thought she was well-chosen for this book. There's always a question of how a narrator will voice characters of the opposite sex, and I thought she was wise not to indicate male speakers simply by a lower/deeper pitch, but by conveying some aspect of personality: for instance, strength for the captain of the guard, and fussiness for the doctor.
All in all, a strong 3.5 stars, which I've rounded up to 4.
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- Anonymous User
- 04-02-20
Quite enjoyable
Nice little novella. I enjoyed hearing the virtues of the realm as well as those of Jacqueline. I enjoy a strong heroin who know what and how she wants to handle things. The story line was intriguing and I enjoyed how the plot unfolded. Anxiously waiting to be able to hear the up coming sequels.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
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- Fun with Four
- 09-07-19
Very Entertaining Mystery!
This book introduces you to Jax, (Duchess Jacqueline Arienta Xavier), after the sudden death of her parents brings her home to become the new Duchess of Saphire, Jax is told by a trusted adviser that her parents were murdered, With the help of Captain George Solomon, the Captain of the Ducal Guard, Jax investigates her parents murders, while intrigues, betrayal, and a surprise suitor within the palace could endanger the survival of the duchy and cost Jax her life.
The first book is a novella and is followed by four fun and intriguing books that were full of adventures and sweet romance. The first book might seem a little slow at first. It introduces the main characters that will continue through the entire series. The series does pick up and is very interesting and enjoyable to read.
Completely clean and sweet!
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- Dee
- 03-01-20
Loved it!!!
There are few things more fun to listen to than a strong female who can handle her business. This is very much our heroine. Jacqueline Arienta Xavier is a newly crowned duchy and once she finds out that her parents were murdered, it's on. She was determined and steadfast and without any hand-wringing or angst, went about finding the truth. Loved it!!!
This is a prequel and I will now delve into the other books in this series since I need more!
The narrator was a great choice! Green embodied the strength at the core of the main character while still spinning a great mystery.
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